Pocky in Ramen
by CelticKawaii
Summary: I remember the day that changed my life. It all started when that new kid named Mail came to Wammy's House, and how he became my roommate. We were like brothers, us two. Here's how it started.
1. New Kid

**Okay, so I've been bugging to do a fanfic like this for a while. Just the whole idea of a Wammy-centric fanfic about Matt and Mello as little kids just seemed like the best thing ever, so I wrote this. Narrated by a seven-year-old Miheal Keehl, about how he came to be best friends with the little redhead who liked video games. ^_^ Yes it's fluffy, but hey, I'm a fluffy girl.**

**FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T OWN MELLO, MATT, NEAR, LINDA, L, OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER, IN DEATH NOTE; THEY BELONG TO TSUGUMI OHBA AND THAT OTHER DUDE.**

**PLEASE NOTE: I know this says "MattxMello," but it is not, I repeat, NOT a yaoi. They are simply very close friends here. And also, they are seven- to eight-year olds, so I would hope there's nothing sexual going on. **

**Warning: Nothing yet, really.**

**Things to know: Mello is narrating this, and he is seven years old at the time. This takes place in late September. Matt didn't have a codename yet, since he's new, so for now, he's simply Mail Jeevas (pronounced "Mile" instead of "Male"). Enjoy!**

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><p>If it weren't for my tripping over him, I never would've seen him. The new kid.<p>

We had a new arrival to Wammy's House, a boy about my age. They said his name a few times, but I hadn't been paying attention. Mile something, I think...

Either way, it didn't really matter to me, since he didn't seem to want to talk to anyone, and mostly stayed out of the way. Well, except when he sat in the middle of the hall, that is.

"Hey," I said, getting up and turning to him. He glanced once at me, might have muttered "sorry," and looked back down. I wondered how long he'd been at that Gameboy.

Anyway, I had tripped over him. Twice. He was kind of weird, this kid with red hair who wore a striped shirt and always had a pair of goggles on. If I cared enough, I might have asked him about the goggles...

Finally, it was time to head to our rooms and go to bed. I walked into my room, only to find that same kid I tripped over twice today sitting on my bed, intently playing on his Gameboy.

"Hey," I said to him.

"Hey," he answered back.

"This is my room, you know," I said.

"Oh," he answered, blushing a bit. "Uh...yeah. They told me I'd have to share a room with someone. Guess it's you,"

Great, just what I needed. A roommate.

"Okay then, let's make a few things clear," I said. "First of all, you're sitting on my bed,"

"Well there's only one bed,"

I realized he was right. _Great, just great._

"Well, okay then...ugh, whatever. Anyway, I know you're sharing it with me, but this is my room. I was here before you, so it's my room, my rules. Got it?"

"Okay," he said, not even looking at me.

"Are you listening?"

"Yeah,"

"Well what did I say then?"

"My room my rules. I have to do what you say because it's your room, right?"

"You're okay with that?"

"Uh huh,"

"As in, you'll do whatever I say?"

"Yup," he kept his eyes on his game.

"Then off my bed,"

He looked up, sighed, and got off. He sat on the floor next to my bed, and got right back to his game. _Okay then, so_ he'll _be easy to get along with_, I thought.

I didn't want to seem like a total jerk, so I asked him what his name was.

"Mail Jeevas," he said.

"I'm Miheal Keehl, but you can call me Mello,"

He only nodded.

"Hey, uh, Mail, are you ever gonna quit that game,"

He looked sheepishly, then turned the game off and put it in his back pocket.

"Well, I mean, I didn't mean turn it off _now_, just..."

"Uh, yeah, sorry,"

"No it's fine, you can still play that, but like, you've been at it all day,"

He giggled. "Yeah, I just really like games, that's all,"

"I couldn't tell,"

There was a long moment where neither of us said anything, when I finally got up and decided to get ready for bed. Mail followed my lead. I guess I was just feeling weird because I've never had to share my room with anyone before, so it was almost like he was trespassing. But I didn't want him to think that. Still, I was mad that none of the adults had told me about this.

"Hey, uh, Mello," said Mail.

"Yeah,"

"Um, where do I sleep?"

I hopped into my bed, and pulled out a chocolate bar from under my pillow. "I think we both know the answer to that one, now don't we Jeevas?" I said, taking a bite.

"The floor?"

"Yup,"

He nodded seriously. "Okay then. It's your room," he found the blanket and pillow I'd left for him, curled up on the floor next to me, and closed his eyes. I honestly couldn't believe this kid. Just how much he was willing to do, maybe it wasn't so bad having a roommate.

But no, I couldn't take it out on him because of something he couldn't help. It's not like it was his fault he was an orphan, or for that matter, one who was found by L and the others, taken here, and at a time when we didn't have enough rooms for him to have his own. I just didn't see why it had to be _my_ room.

On the other hand, I couldn't just share a bed with him...no, not that. I just couldn't handle sleeping in the same bed. At least not with someone I barely just met, anyway. Still, this Jeevas kid seemed alright, and was willing to do just about anything I told him to.

But the weird thing was, something about him annoyed me. What it was, I couldn't say, so I just polished off the chocolate and fell asleep.

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><p><strong>And there it is, folks. Sorry to all you people who are still waiting for the next chapter of "Alchemy of the Soul" or "Fullmetal Eds," I promise it'll be this month, okay? <strong>

**Well, anyway...I was thinking of doing a fluffy story, and if you're wondering, the title is supposed to come from a scene that happens much later on, but it was kind of random. I had this take place when Mello and Matt were 7 to 8 because Near had to be old enough to pose competition for Mello, and because the idea of Kid!Mello is so damn cute!**

**Anyway, REVIEW!**


	2. Secrets

**Oi, what a week! This chapter's a long one, but I wanted it even longer, if you can imagine that. Anyway, I've had Kid!Mello and Kid!Matt giving me ideas...yes, they talk to me. It happens to you too, I know. _**

**Well, I wanted this to be close to canon, but I couldn't resist the urge to have redhead Matty, so yes, I gave him red hair. Also, Near's in this chapter!**

**Near: Yay!  
>Mello: What?<br>Matt: Review!  
><strong>

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><p>I woke up the next day, rubbing my eyes, and nearly stepped on a sound-asleep kid on the floor. <em>Oh yeah, that's right. He's sharing my room,<em> I remembered.

Carefully I tiptoed around him, and crouched down to get a better look. For someone who'd spent the night on hardwood floor, he looked pretty cozy. It was odd, because he didn't have his goggles on this time, and he looked kind of different without them. I wanted to wake him up, but then I didn't. He was just so...different, or something. I didn't know the word for it, but all I knew was I didn't want to ruin it by waking him. I just left him there and got dressed.

I came back to check if he was still there, and sure enough, there he was, still out of it. I couldn't help but look over at him again. But then I had this weird urge to know what color eyes he had. I'd only seen him with goggles on, and since those were tinted, I couldn't tell from there, so...

"Hey, Mail,"

"Nn..."

"You know you still suck your thumbs?"

"Mm...huh? What? Really?" he squinted a bit, and blinked open his eyes. Green eyes.

"Yeah, really," I said teasingly. He blushed.

"W-wha...how did you know?"

"I saw you doing it in your sleep just now,"

He looked down. "Oh," he said. "Well uh, don't tell anyone, okay,"

"Alright," I said, heading out the door.

I thought about heading to Roger's office, but I decided not to - I think it was already clear I didn't want a roommate. If anyone said anything about him sleeping on the floor, I'd just tell them that he said he didn't care either way.

I headed out to the common room after breakfast, when I noticed him. That kid who always played by himself, who always seemed off in his own little world. Maybe he didn't know it, but I hated him. He always got higher scores on the exams, and L seemed to like him more.

Near.

I saw him, but he didn't notice me. I peaked out from behind a corner to look at what he was up to. Not much, just building a Lego tower. He always stuck to puzzles, games, mostly stuff that needed stacking or building. But it was always alone. Sometimes another kid would come over and try to play with him, but Near didn't want to be with other people. Today, someone came over to sit with him.

It was Mail.

I almost wanted to yell something at him, but I didn't know why. I didn't know which one I was mad at really - was it Mail, because he was somehow taking away from me by being with Near; or maybe it was Near, for stealing attention from me. That's right, I was upset because someone I had barely just met was interested in him and not me...was I really_ that_ jealous of him?

He said a few things to him for a minute, but I couldn't hear what it was. _No, he doesn't know, about how it is with us two,_ I said to myself. How could he? Finally, the redhead got up, shrugged, and walked away. That's when he saw me.

"Hey Mello,"

I banged my head against the wall. Now I was mad at him. "Hi...Mail," I muttered.

"Yeah, I guess that kid Near doesn't like to play with other people," he said. "I asked him about you,"

"You...you did?"

"Yeah, you know about him?"

I shrugged. "Not really," I lied. "I mean, I know that he's been here for about a year or so now, and..." I trailed off. Did I really just want to tell him about how I really felt? Yes I did. "and he was left at the front door of Wammy's House in a basket, just like in the movies. So he's probably like a demon spawn...I think,"

"What?"

"Never mind," I said.

"O...kay,"

I pulled a chocolate bar out of my back pocket. I could see Near looking over at us - he probably heard the part about me saying he was a demon spawn - so I turned away and bit into the wrapper. Then I realized I forgot to peel off the wrapper and so I just tore it off with my teeth. Mail giggled.

"Are you okay?"

"Hm?" I said, papery-wrapper thing full of chocolate in my mouth.

"You...you just seemed kind of...oh I get it!"

"Mm?"

"You like that kid, don't you?"

"WHAT!" I spat the chocolate out.

"Yeah, that's it, isn't it? No wonder you're getting all flustered,"

"I-I'm not getting flustered!" I said, choking on the wrapper.

He started cracking up, and my face was turning red. I could've punched him, but I instead grabbed him by his shirt and pinned him to the wall. "Mail," I said, already beet red. "No, I don't like that kid. I hate him. He's my enemy, and that little bastard is always getting ahead of me, got it? It's because of him that I'm not number one, that I'm not the first in line to succeed L. I used to be, but he stole it from me. I can't stand him. He is a demon spawn," I was whispering, but Mail looked kind of scared. I guess I got the point across.

"Uh-okay, sure,"

"I don't like him,"

"Got it. Now please put me down,"

I did, and picked up the rest of my chocolate bar. This time I remembered to tear off the wrapper before biting into it.

"And...so _he's_ the demon spawn, eh?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing," he said sheepishly. "Hey, uh, I left my Gameboy in your room,"

"You don't need to ask me for it or anything,"

"I can never be too careful around you, Mihael,"

"Well, I wonder if anyone will fix the whole 'only one bed' issue," I said, taking another bite of chocolate.

"Oh, they put a bunk bed in earlier, I saw,"

"What?" I turned to him.

"Yeah, don't tell me, you want the top bunk, right?"

"Wh- no, not that. I mean, did they take my old bed?" I didn't like this - first the new kid, then the adults, all sorts of people going in and out of my room without me knowing about it - I needed more chocolate. "And yes, I'm on top,"

"Hee-hee, that's what she said,"

"Mail, this is serious!"

"Okay, fine," he said. "Well, why is it so important to have your old bed? You mean like, your mattress, right?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded. But I didn't want to tell him why I couldn't have my old mattress taken away. "Uh, you know what, how about we just go look and see if it's there, okay?"

I grabbed his arm and ran up the stairs, down the hall, into my room, busting open the door. Sure enough, there was a bunk bed where my old bed used to be. I quickly dove into the bottom bunk and checked all the usual spots in the mattress...no, this wasn't my old one. It didn't have the pockets I'd made in it...my heart started beating really fast as I tried feeling around all the sides, top, bottom...

"Um, what are you doing?" Mail asked. I forgot he was even there.

"Uh..." I blushed. "you know, could you go in the closet for a sec?" I said.

"Uh..."

"And shut the door,"

"Alright,"

"And don't come out until I tell you to, okay?"

"Can I just have my Gameboy?"

I sighed. I saw the thing lying on the floor, under the dresser. "Yeah, here," I handed it to him.

"Yay,"

"Remember, not till I tell you to come out, okay?"

"Okay," I watched him go inside the closet and shut the door. I checked the hall, quietly closed the door, checked the closet again, and then rushed over to the top bunk.

_It has to be this one,_ I thought. _Even though that makes no sense. I mean, why would they put my old mattress on the top like that? Unless Mail told them to, he did ask me if I wanted the top, right? But then, why would he just guess before asking me? No, this isn't the mattress! Dammit!_

I crawled to the top of the mattress, sat up, and tried to think. _Okay, well, if it's not here, then...Maybe I'll have to tell Mail about it. No, I can't, how do I know I could trust him? No, wait, I don't have to trust him..._

"Jeevas,"

I got no answer. I climbed down from the top bunk and walked over to the closet. I opened the door.

"Mail?"

He said nothing. He really got into his game while I was searching for...it.

"Huh? Oh, hey, are you done whatever you were doing with your mattress already?"

"Mail, there's something I need to ask you,"

"Oh, okay. What is it?"

I took a deep breath, and decided to go into the closet with him. "Okay, don't tell anyone about this, alright?"

"Uh, yeah..." he sounded nervous.

"Okay, do you know what happened to my old mattress?" I asked him.

"Mm..." he thought for a second. "I think they took it away. Why?"

"Listen Mail," I said, coming in closer. "It's really important that I have to find it. There was something in there,"

"Money?"

"That too," I said. Okay, it was only a few quarters, really.

"Ooh, what was it?"

"Mail," I said, now really close to him. "I...had a huge stash of chocolate hidden in the mattress,"

"Whoa, really?"

"Mm-hm," I said. "You'll help me find it, right?"

"Uh..."

"And you won't tell anyone, because if you do, then everyone will know you still suck your thumbs,"

"H-hey! You said you wouldn't tell anyone about that!"

"Right," I said, letting out an evil smile. "And you won't tell anyone about the stash, right?"

"O-o-okay, I promise,"

"Good then," I said, opening the door. "Oh, and don't even think about going into it, either. I'll find something else on you to tell everyone in Wammy's House,"

"Hold on, I wouldn't do that," he hurried up to follow me out the door.

From an early age, I had learned the importance of extortion. Also known as blackmail, extortion could get your worst enemy to do what you wanted, if you had the right information. The key was to have a lot of it on a lot of different people, because you never knew how well they could keep a secret.

"Wait, Mello!" Mail was panting after me. "None of us know where it is, right? I mean, I don't know where they took it,"

"Then we'll search the place for any likely sources,"

"Uh, yeah, whatever...but..." he was getting tired out just trying to keep up with my pace. "Sh-shouldn't we ask someone about it? Like, someone who knows the place better?"

"The only people who know this place better than me are either adults, or the older kids, or Linden Benson*, and believe me, you don't want to tell her anything,"

"Who's Lin- " he had to stop to catch his breath, "Linden Benson?"

I stopped and turned around. "Linden Benson is one of the younger kids, but she has a great memory and so she might be able to tell where they put the old mattress. The problem is she can't keep her mouth shut, so anything you say to her is like blasting it on a megaphone hooked up to amps from the roof,"

"Oh,"

"And you've gotta get out more," I said, "Really, no offense, but you're kind of out of shape,"

"Am not! You're just going too fast!"

I wasn't about to lose my chocolate. Not now! God, come to think of it, ever since this new kid showed up, all sorts of horrible things were happening to me. And now this?

"Mello! Please slow down!"

"Keep up with me, Mail,"

I suddenly realized that I'd only been pacing up and down the hall. That's when I stopped, and Jeevas did a facefault behind me. He moaned.

"C-could we just take a break or something? I can't go on anymore,"

"No Jeevas, we have to find it,"

"Mm," he moaned again, but he wouldn't get up.

I grabbed him by the hand and dragged him across the floor. "I'm not letting you back out of this, Jeevas! I don't care if you're tired! It's not my fault you're out of shape!"

"How come you're the one who's always eating chocolate but I'm the one who's out of shape?"

"Life's not fair,"

"I hate you,"

"Same here, now get off your butt and move!"

"Hey, what are you doing to him?" asked Linden.

"Linden! Good, I need you right now!"

"He's abusing me! I've fallen and I'm too lazy to get up!" Mail said with his face to the floor. I facepalmed.

"I can't believe you would - Oh hey, aren't you the new kid?" she asked.

"Y-yes,"

She ran up to him. "Aw, sorry about him! Oh, he's your roommate, isn't he? Oh, I'm so sorry about that. I'm Linden Benson, by the way,"

"And I'm Mail Jeevas,"

She smiled. "I really hope you're liking it here, Mail,"

"Eh, kind of," he giggled. "Oh, hey, there's something me and Mello need you for,"

"Huh? What is it?"

"It's nothing. We don't need -"

"He's got something he needs to find, and you're the only one that can find it, I guess. You have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay,"

"Or," I walked up to her, since Mail Jeevas had so nicely pulled her into this, "I'll tell the whole house about your crush on Nate River," I whispered in her ear.

"No you wouldn't! You promised!"

"And you won't tell, right?"

"No, but..."

"I won't tell anyone if you don't, okay?"

She was turning beet red. "F-fine,"

Like I said, have a lot of blackmail on a lot of people, you have the power.

"Oh, tell what? You got dirt on her too?" Mail said.

"Yeah, can't tell you what it is, or else it's pointless,"

"But I don't talk to anyone but you, really; c'mon, who am I gonna tell?"

"Nobody because I won't tell you,"

"Aw,"

"Now, what do you need me to find?" Linden asked.

"My old mattress," I said. "There's a massive chocolate stash hidden in it,"

"Oh, okay,"

"Can you think of any places where they'd keep it?"

"Hm..." she thought a moment. "Well...I know they keep a sort of storage room for things like spare beds and stuff, but I don't think we're aloud to go -"

"Linden, do you really think I care about that right now?"

"Um..."

"Just take us there, okay?"

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><p><strong>Dun-dun-dun! Cliff hanger! If you're wondering, the whole "Near is a demon spawn" thing and the part about him being dropped off at Wammy's door in a basket...that was Mello's idea. XD<strong>

**For whatever reason, I felt the need to put in a yaoi joke. I regret it, but it's still funny. **

**Matt...yes, I realized that in the "official" art, his eyes are dark blue, but c'mon, he's got red hair, and green eyes go so well with it. ^_^  
><strong>

**LOL, yes, I think we all suspected that Mello had chocolate stashed in his mattress. And I always thought he'd be the one to know about extortion at the age of seven...he took over the mafia at fifteen, after all. :P**

**Poor, poor Matt. Why do I insist on torturing characters I like?**

**Matt: Yeah, why?  
>Aw, it's only cuz I care.<br>Matt: How did I become friends with this guy anyway?  
>Mello: Am I ever gonna see that chocolate again?<br>I dunno. If we get more reviews...  
>Mello: alksljjdlkjsjfj REVIEW! PLEASE!<br>Matt: Yeah, really.**

**Oh, and on a sidenote:  
>*Linden Benson is not an OC; she's actually Linda, but I decided to come up with her "real name" for this story, since she's not given a codename just yet.<strong>


	3. Chocolate

**Thanks for the reviews, everyone! *hands out cookies* Well, I didn't want to keep you hanging, and this seems to be really doing good (four reviews so far, it's doing better than Xanatos). Well, here's where we find out if Mello gets his chocolate back. **

**Mello: Do I?  
>It's in this chapter...<br>Matt: Is he gonna blackmail me again?  
>No.<br>Linda: Don't forget to review!**

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><p>We stood in front of the door to the supply closet. None of us said anything.<p>

"Ladies first," I said to Linden.

"Uh...well, couldn't you go ahead of me, Mello?" she asked.

"Why? Are you scared?"

"Kind of,"

"Fine then, I'll go first," I said. Why did some kids have to make a big deal about a dark room? I mean, maybe if someone was hiding in it...with a knife, maybe...or a gun...and...

"Hey Mail, you should come too,"

"You're scared too?"

"No," I shot back. "Just...I grew up on the streets, dark places make me tense, okay?"

"So you're scared,"

"Am not,"

"Yes you are,"

"Thumb sucker,"

He turned beet red. "You said you wouldn't tell! And you said it in front of the girl that you said was like blasting it in a megaphone on amps to!"

"I'm standing right here, you know,"

"Just get down there already!" I shouted.

We were about halfway down the stairs when Linden finally asked "D-didn't anyone bring a flashlight?"

I facepalmed. "Ugh! Of course a flashlight!"

"Yes, I think that would help," added Mail.

So then, _after_ we found a flashlight and _after_ we walked back down the stairs, we searched the basement area for any extra mattresses. We had no idea where to start.

"Uh, I've never been down here before, so I'm not sure where to look," said Linden.

"Oh, so you're as good as useless to us now," I said.

"What? I'm not useless!"

"Hey guys, could you stop fighting? I think I found a door," Mail called over to us. "I think I played a game like this once,"

Sure enough, there was a door. Of course, there were huge spider webs big enough for someone to get stuck in. Someone like Linden, at least.

"Well, I don't think your mattress could be in there, the cobwebs look like they've been there for a while, and your mattress was taken recently, so..." Linden trailed off.

"Okay, you have a point," I said. "But you're still a chicken,"

"No I'm not, I just gave a good explanation for why it makes no sense to look there!"

"Hey, maybe we could look in there anyway and go on an adventure!" Mail suggested.

"Guys, focus! We can have the adventure once we find my mattress,"

"He's right, we're here for one thing only, so the sooner we get out, the better," Linden said. To be honest, I didn't mind her too much, but she got annoying sometimes. When she wasn't being a tattle tale or Near's stupid fangirl, she was pretty cool.

"Alright then Linden," I turned to her, "Can you think of anyplace we can find the mattress? Besides here?"

"We can try looking over there, but then I don't know this place too well. I'm mostly going by reasoning,"

"Right then," I thought a minute. "Okay, so since this place has a lot of dust, we'll look for the door or space where it looks like the dust was cleared off from recently. That would be the place they most likely put it, right?"

"Right," said Linden.

"So if you're looking for a clear spot, would this be it?" Mail asked, pointing to a doorway. Me and Linden rushed over.

"Mail, I take back everything I said about you!" I said.

"Huh? I was here for two days, what sorts of things did you say?"

"Nothing,"

We came over to the door, which had handprints all over it and looked like it was wiped off from all the dust. Most of the dust, at least. We opened the door together, and sure enough, there were two or three mattresses stacked one on top of the other. By now, I was glad I had Mail and Linden with me; how was I gonna carry all that chocolate by myself?

"Hey Mello," Mail spoke up as I dove for the first mattress and felt for the pockets.

"Yeah?"

"Just wondering, how much chocolate is in that mattress, anyway?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I just think that maybe, what if the grown-ups noticed that it was really heavy and...well, they could've -"

"YOU'RE NOT SAYING THEY SUSPECTED ANYTHING, ARE YOU?"

"N-no, but...uh, yeah. I mean, they might've, and...well, I dunno what -"

"Jeevas, listen to me," I said, panicking now. "I set up those pockets in a way that if anyone were to move the bed, nothing would fall out. You would literally have to know about the stashes - or at least the pockets - to get to them. There's no way..." I had to stop talking, I was breathing really fast.

"Mello?" Linden came over to me. "Are you okay?"

I took a deep breath, and - much as I hated to admit how much this worked - counted to ten. To myself, because I didn't want the others to hear. Then, I looked at Linden.

"You okay?" she repeated.

"Help me move this mattress," I said. "I'll check the second one,"

We searched the next two mattresses, but we found nothing. We noticed there was a fourth one behind the stack...or what was a stack (it looked more like a lumpy pile by now), and I went for it. I felt for the one spot, right where...there it was!

"Guys! I found it!" I shouted. I was excited, ecstatic now...I could just taste it in my mouth, melting, sweet...

Except, I didn't feel the bar. Or any, for that matter.

"I-it's...it's gone," I said.

"What?" Linden gasped.

"Does this mean you're telling everyone that I still suck my thumbs?" Mail blurted out.

I felt horrible. It wasn't just the stash...okay, it was, but I'd worked so hard to make the slits in the mattress look like they were hardly even there. Plus there was just how hard it was to actually get all that chocolate - whatever wasn't left over from holidays or what I actually _bought_...uh, let's just leave it at that. And now, that whole supply was gone. And technically, it was all Mail Jeevas' fault.

"Hey," I felt him nudge me, but I didn't move. "Mells, you okay? We should get out of here, you know,"

"Y-yeah," I said, looking back over at the bed. My old one. "Let's go,"

We headed out of the room, tired, empty, depressed...okay, I was anyway. Well, Mail and Linden were tired...oh forget it. Our day officially sucked! So we came out of the room and tried to find the stairs so we could get out of this place. That's when I heard footsteps.

"Guys, you hear that?" I whispered. We all froze and looked around. That's when I felt Linden wrap her arms around me.

"Mm, are we gonna die?" she moaned.

"We're not gonna die, now can you please stop squeezing me?"

There were the footsteps again. Then, there was a crashing noise, like someone falling down the stairs.

"Hey, now we know where the stairs are!" said Jeevas. I rolled my eyes. Me and Linden both stopped short when we saw the white thing konked out at the bottom of the stairs. It was Near.

"Huh," said Mail. "Yeah, now we know why it's important to bring a flashlight,"

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><p>When we finally got back up to my room...our room, whatever...Mail didn't say anything to me, just kept looking at the floor, and sat on his bed. I think he knew I was pissed at him.<p>

"I uh...I'm sorry you couldn't find your chocolate," he mumbled.

"Yeah well, we can't do anything now..." I said, before I felt myself choke up. I'd actually been holding it in ever since I found out the pockets were empty, but there was no way I was gonna cry in front of him and Linden Benson. I thought I could wait till I was alone in my room...when I remembered I was sharing it with this guy.

"At least I planned ahead," I said. I went over to the middle of the floor, felt for the right spot in the floorboards, and pulled them open. Ten left.

"Oh, nice!" Mail said. "You had a backup stash! That was genius!"

"Keep it down, will you?" I whispered, taking out a bar. I peeled off the wrapper and chewed on the bar. I needed comfort food.

"Don't tell me, you don't want me to tell anyone about this, right?" he said, getting out his Gameboy.

I smirked. "Right," I said.

"But seriously though, do you always have to have chocolate?"

"Do you always have to play on your Gameboy?"

"Touche,"

I climbed into my bunk, crawled under the covers, and slowly, carefully savored the last of my chocolate.

Just ten...nine now.

And with ninety-three chocolate bars, enough to get through the month, gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Aw, poor Mello didn't get his chocolate. T_T Hey, I had to torture someone besides Matt, right?<strong>

**Mello: You have no soul.  
>Oh stop! It'll get better.<br>Mello: Yeah right.  
>Matt: REVIEW!<br>**


	4. Addiction

**Phew! Well, this came to me...uh, recently? Yeah. I didn't feel like delving into the Wammy kids' past lives, because I knew I'd screw something up. But hey, know what the great thing about having a seven-year-old narrate a story? You can get away with telling it like a thirteen year old!**

**Meh, anyway...this is somewhat filler-ish, half flashback, half...er, not-flashback.**

**As always, _review!_**

* * *

><p>The whole thing was one big, grey blur to me.<p>

I didn't remember much, just the fact that I was running away from someone, scared, screaming, about to wet my pants...the man was mad because I stole his gun.

I hid behind the trash cans as long as I could, until I heard the all-too-familiar bang of gunfire. The man was dead.

I peeked out for a better look. Someone, wearing all black and a mask hiding their face, turned to me. I did the first thing that came to instinct - I pulled out my gun and pointed it at him.

The stranger just chuckled. "Easy now," he said. "That man can't hurt you anymore. You're safe now,"

I still aimed the gun, tears streaming down my face. I was so tired, shaking, that I dropped it. I fell over, ready to pass out, but one thought still stuck in my brain: _The stranger had just saved my life._

When I finally woke up, I was in an orphanage. Wammy's House, it was called. Everyone was looking at me, asking who I was, this little kid who had pulled a gun on the stranger - Quillish Wammy.

I spoke to no one. I trusted no one.

I sat hunched over in a corner, feeling like a trapped animal. I didn't want to play with the other kids, and I wanted to be left alone.

"Hey," I heard a kid's voice call. He put his hand on my shoulder, and I flinched.

"So, I hear you pulled a gun on Mr. Wammy,"

I didn't say anything, only looked at him.

This kid was about thirteen, with messy black hair and big black eyes with dark circles under them. I didn't want him around, so I just glared at him.

"Come on now, it's okay. You're safe now, you know that?"

The words rang back - You're safe now. The same thing the man Mr. Wammy had said. But still, I just kept glaring. He was too close.

"What's your name?"

"It's...Mihael Keehl," I muttered. I slinked back into the corner more.

"I'm L," he offered his hand for me to shake. I wouldn't take it. He frowned.

He reached for something in his back pocket, and I flinched. It was a shiny silver rectangle.

"Here," he said, peeling back the silver wrapper to reveal a brown set of little rectangles. "Try this,"

I stared. "It's chocolate," he said. "You've never had it before?"

I shook my head. He offered it to me, and I took it.

"Come on, it's good,"

I took a bite. It _was_ good...creamy, sweet, melting in my mouth...I couldn't help grinning just tasting it. I giggled.

"I told you it was good,"

"Heh, yeah," I said.

"I hope you like it here at Wammy's House, Mihael,"

"Mm-hm," I said, gobbling up the rest of the chocolate.

From that day, it was a new life for me. Among the other orphans, I was "the kid who pulled a gun on Mr. Wammy," and I guess it sounded really cool, so they thought I was like Batman or Sean Connery or something. If they'd actually seen me, shaking, whimpering, crying like a little girl, they might not think I was all that great. But hey, maybe it was still pretty cool.

Second, I had found an addiction; two, actually. There was, first of all, chocolate. I couldn't think of anything like it, really...but something about the way the taste would wrap around my tongue and make my mouth water, it was one of the only things that made me smile. Of course, I was told I had to eat other things too, and I did, but I always looked forward to...that.

There was another one though. Out of all the kids in the orphanage, the one who I talked to, who I trusted, who I liked, was L. Okay, maybe it wasn't L that was the addiction...or it was, I think. He was the greatest, and the world's best detective, able to solve any case he took on, all without ever showing his face. And what the world didn't know, was that he was only thirteen - old to me, but not enough to be a grown-up. When you did that, who cares about a kid who can point a gun at a stranger?

But it was more than that. Now, I was an orphan, I had no parents, no siblings, no family. Some of the kids said that because we all lived together, we were all like "family," but I never believed that. No, I never used "family" as a word for many people, it was too...big. L was the first person I called "family" since I'd come to Wammy's House.

And then, I found out that us kids were made to be in line for L's place; if he died someday, one of us would take his place, and that person would be the next L. It was a race. I knew I couldn't ever be L, but I could still be more L than anyone else here. I knew, because I had the highest scores, so high that no one could beat them; I knew, because the others always said, that I would be the next L; and I knew, because L said so.

I couldn't be L, but I would be close. And a part of me hated that I'd only be 'close enough,' never the same thing. So I always fought, worked to get to the best, hoping that maybe, one day I'd get there.

This was my real addiction.

* * *

><p>I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes from sleepyness - it was that time of night that you knew was after midnight, but you didn't want to look at the clock to find out. There was an odd glow coming from the floor...<p>

It was Mail.

"Nnn..." I moaned. "Jeevas, do you really have to be at it right now?"

He jumped at the sound of my voice, and looked up at me. The Gameboy's light reflected off his goggles.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"It's just...you know we're having classes tomorrow, and there's no way I'm dragging you out of bed,"

"I'll be fine," he said. Yeah right, I thought. I'd only been around him for a week, but two things were certain with him; first, he knew how to sleep. He literally could sleep anywhere, at anytime. He could do it on command if he wanted to. And second, he did **_not_** wake up easily. Mail hated mornings.

"Is it really worth it, Mail?" I said, looking at the ceiling.

"Yes,"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really," he started crazily shifting his thumbs at the game, tilting it sideways and all that. I think I saw him break into a manic smile too. "I'm at the last level,"

I yawned. There was something we had in common - that one thing we just had to be with. Though honestly, I said chocolate was my "addiction," but I wouldn't really say I was an addict, like with a drug... I mean, I could be without it if I had to, but this guy...he was just plain nuts!

"Go to bed,"

"Almost,"

"Now,"

"Just a little more..."

"Fine!"

"OH YEAH! PWND!" he jumped up and rolled on the floor laughing. "Yes! Finally!"

"Go to bed!" I hollered from over my bunk.

"Heh-heh, yeah," he continued cracking up. "Oh wow, I think I was so excited, I just peed,"

"What?"

"Just kidding,"

"Mail! Get in bed, now!" I banged my head against the ceiling.

"Ha-ha, okay, okay," he said, finally settling down. He took off his goggles and flung them across the room. He had little rings around his big green eyes where the goggles were - I always knew he had those things on too tight. "'Night Mells,"

I sighed. "Night Mail," I said.

And finally, I think I finally figured out what it was about him, that I couldn't name earlier; he was cute. You know, like a puppy you get from the shelter who thought of ripping up your pillows and eating your shoes. Yeah, you still kicked the crap out of that thing, but then later on he came back and you're not mad anymore cause he's got big brown eyes and wants to play. Yeah, Mail Jeevas was kind of like that.

But he still annoyed me, and this I couldn't figure out. Was it his 'leave me alone I'm gaming' deal, or his 'go with the flow sure-I'll-sleep-on-the-floor-and-wait-in-the-closet' attitude he kept that set me off. I thought that's what made him easy to tolerate.

After all, he was just a kid who wanted to be left alone to his games, not bothered by anyone else...

It hit me.

This kid, compliant, shy, distant...I knew where I'd seen it before.

He was just like Near.

Or not quite like Near, but he definitely made me think of him. That's what pissed me off so much.

Now that I knew what it was that I hated about him, I knew I'd have to fix it. Or change it. Or kill him.

And there it was; my new addiction.

* * *

><p><strong>And there it is for you...oh how I love going into detail about Mello's chocolate addiction. Funny how I felt like I had to be eating chocolate because it would...help "inspire" me. <strong>

**Well, as far as I see it, the way the first half of this chapter was done is either gonna be really intense, or really cannot-take-seriously funny. You know, like "narm". It's just because Mello's such an over-the-top character, he's so dramatic that sometimes, he has moments where it's just plain funny. It's okay for me either way, but I hope the flashback at least didn't come out narmy...**

**I always pictured Matt as not being a morning person. :X He's in for another round of Matt-abuse from Mello, sadly...**

**Matt: Wait what?  
>Mello: I get to let out my frustration on him?<br>Near: My head still hurts!**

**_REVIEW!_  
><strong>


	5. Irony

**Okay, so, I have a few things I don't totally like about this chapter, but in all, it came out great. Not to spoil or anything but, well, the title of the chapter says it all. Tropers, prepair for troping.**

**Mellos' craziness may have just reached a climax here...I love writing for him, he's so over-the-top! And Matt, he's so laid-back and sarcastic. **

**L's in this chapter (kind of).  
><strong>

**And...here's something fun: everytime you see the word "chocolate," "goggles," or any sentence beginning with the word "I", take a drink.**

**WARNING: Expletive at the very end of this chapter. This chapter is rated K+ for swearing.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"But Roger, you can't do this to me!" I pleaded.<p>

"Mello, you have to understand...the chocolate is being held for now -"

"Why?"

"Be..." he scratched his head, "...cause we really have no idea what to do with it,"

"Give it back?" I offered, looking up innocently.

"We understand it's yours Mello, but well...this is starting to become an addiction,"

"IT'S NOT AN ADDICTION! I CAN STOP WHENEVER I WANT!"

He didn't say anything, just stared.

"AAaaahhhggg! Stupid Roger! I hate him! Who even hired that guy, anyway?" I ranted to no one, kicking a wall in my room. Mail only shrugged.

"What's your deal?" he asked, even though I knew he didn't care.

"You know he doesn't even like kids, right? You should hear him sometimes, like 'Oh, why on earth did I take up a job at this orphanage?' I'd really like to say 'Gee Rog, I'd ask the same thing! It's your life, you're a grown-up, get a job that you can actually handle!'"

Mail giggled.

"What's so funny?" I sneered.

"You. You just get in these moods sometimes...it's great!"

"Think I'm funny, huh?" I mumbled. I got behind him and pulled the strap of his goggles, snapping them back in his face.

"Ow! Mello!" he clutched both hands to his face. Now I was laughing.

"That hurt!"

"Good,"

"How'd you get your name, anyway?"

I looked at him sideways. "What do you mean?"

"I can't believe someone thought of the name 'mello' for someone like you! Unless they were being ironic..."

"Huh?"

"You know what 'mello' means, right? Because, you're the total opposite of it. Like, you go over the top sometimes and it's really easy to make you mad...hm, unless it's short for 'melodramatic'..."

I turned beet red. "Know what, Jeevas? I'll bet you won't even get a codename,"

"Why should I care about that?" he asked, completely ignorant.

I went to grab his goggles again. He pushed me back this time. Pretty soon we were in a full-blown fistfight.

I was bruised. He bled. Near needed medical attention.

Just kidding about the last one. I really wish though...

The two of us sat in detention, glaring at each other. Actually, I could tell he was kind of scared of me, since he stayed away from me as much as possible (he slept in the closet for three days), but he ended up getting over it. Weird thing was, I felt really good ever since I'd kicked his butt.

But then, it kind of sucked, having him trying to avoid me all the time.

I was bored. No chocolate, no stupid roommate to boss around...no chocolate. And it was raining. So there was no going outside (why did we have to stay inside anyway? It's rain, get over it!), and no one to hang out with...how did I get by before that Jeevas kid showed up?

Finally, I came into the common room and broke down. I did the one thing I said I would never do - I sat down in front of Near.

"H-hey, uh, Near," I said, trying to ignore the fact that I hated this kid's guts. He looked up, kind of surprised I'd come over to see him.

"Hi Mello," he said, quickly looking back at his puzzle.

"So...do you need help with that?" What a stupid question!

"Um, okay," he answered. He was halfway done the puzzle anyway, but it was one of those blank ones, not the kind with pictures. You figured those out with pure mad skill. "I uh...I don't know what this one goes to,"

I looked at the piece. It could fit into at least three different places, actually - only one of them being the right one. It was shaped differently from the other ones, almost like it didn't go in the puzzle...

"It...it goes right here," I put the piece in one cluster of puzzle pieces. "And this one goes with it, see?"

"Wow, thanks Mello," Near smiled - I think he really meant it, too. He wasn't just being a condescending jerk.

"Uh...yeah, any time," I said, a bit awkwardly. "Hey, aren't the quarterly exams coming up?"

"We got a new student, I'm sure they will be,"

"Right...how do you think the new kid's gonna do?"

"Mail Jeevas?" Near blinked. "I don't know. You share a room with him, right? I think you could say it better than me,"

_"Know what, Jeevas? I'll bet you won't even _get_ a codename,"_

_"Why should I care about that?"_

"He's not going to do very well - he's just lazy and doesn't care," I said.

"Well, you would know better than anyone," he shrugged.

It was just plain weird, the fact that I was saying all of this to my worst enemy. Did I mention I hated this brat?

"But I will do the best, of course," Near said matter-of-factly.

"Screw you," I said, tipping over the puzzle and sending the pieces falling to the floor in a mess. I walked away.

I ran into some other kid in the hall. It turned out to be Linden Benson, who had dropped all her art supplies on the floor.

"Sorry," I muttered as I helped her pick her things up.

"I-it's fine, it's my fault," she said. When she had all her stuff together again, she said, "Oh, I saw you playing with Near earlier. That was really nice of you!"

I flushed - crap, she saw! Now the whole house would know - "Y-yeah well...I was bored, okay? I just wanted someone to pass the time, ya know?"

"It was still really nice," she said. "Near is so lonely most of the time, and a lot of people don't go up and talk to him. It's just nice that you went up and paid attention is all,"

I just rolled my eyes. "I don't even like him, you know,"

Linden frowned. _Why do you always have to be nice to people?_ I thought to myself. _No one cares, really!_

"Oh, okay then. Still, I think - hope - that maybe one day you will like him,"

"Yeah maybe, when he either gets kicked out of Wammy's House, dies or drops a few IQ points,"

"Mello, you're awful,"

"I will never be nice. Ever again!" I stormed into my room. Sitting on the bed, glued to the Gameboy, was Mail. He looked up at me, not saying anything. Guess he wasn't afraid anymore.

"Jeevas,"

"Mello,"

"Where have you been?"

"I dunno, maybe somewhere I know I won't get the strap of my goggles snapped against my face," he said flatly. "Where were you?"

"Somewhere else," I said. I didn't want to bring up playing with Near.

"You were with Near today,"

"WHAT?"

"I saw you. You two were working on the puzzle together. I thought you hated him,"

"I do," I said, annoyed. "Nobody was around, I just did it because I was bored,"

"Lonely?"

"I was bored. Trust me, I've got plenty of people here who really like me, I'm not lonely," I blushed. Actually, I kind of was lonely - it's not like no one liked me, just that for some reason I never seemed to get 'real' friends. I couldn't relate to that many people in Wammy's House.

"Okay then," he shrugged, "So you were really bored. You had to be, if you were so bored you ended up doing a puzzle with a demon spawn,"

"Yeah," I replied. "But you know what? He was a piece of crap who told me he'd assess top grade. He has to rub it in just to piss me off!"

"Assess? For what?"

"We have an exam coming up. See, each new student takes an individual assessment, then another one to see where they rank compared to the other kids. I think the top seven or so get codenames. Don't be too upset if you don't score very high,"

"I won't be,"

"Seriously? Why?" I really couldn't understand him sometimes. "Is it because you really think you'll come at the top or because you really just don't care?"

"It's the second," he smirked, leaning back and lying on the bed. "Who cares?"

I could've explained the whole thing to him, that we were in this place to become L's successor, and it only mattered if you were at the top. You wanted to be the greatest detective. That's why you're here, cause you're a reject, an orphan, probably out of wedlock...you wanted to be better.

Not this guy.

"Are you really that lazy?"

"Yep,"

"You could get thrown out, you know,"

He looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously, if you're not Wammy material, they will literally throw you out the window. And you'll end up in a crappy orphanage where everyone's like Roger and hates kids..."

"You're making all this up,"

"No, really, they've done it,"

It was kind of true, they really would do that, but they probably wouldn't bother doing it to him now. He'd already taken a first assessment, so I guess he barely made it in here.

"I don't believe you," he said, resuming his game.

"Fine. I'll just watch them throw you out, and then I'll have this room all to myself again," I said boastfully.

"Pffft. Please, it's all to yourself _now_!" he mumbled.

* * *

><p>All the kids stood in the hallway, eagerly waiting for our results. This time, I hoped I'd finally make it higher than Near...<p>

They'd made a new policy a few months ago, that we'd all get told how well we did in private so it wouldn't be as embarrassing or something, but it never mattered; we all found out eventually anyway. Kids talk, after all...

My turn came. I walked into Roger's office, where there was a seat in front of the desk and a computer set up. On the screen was a stylized letter L. I gulped. I was actually getting a grade from L himself...

"Well Mello, you've actually improved your score. I'm always impressed with your work, but this time you've actually done better than your last assessment,"

"Did I get the highest score?" I blurted out. "I...uh, I mean, is...did.."

"Almost,"

_Dammit!_

"Only one person scored higher than you. I won't tell you who, but it was only one person,"

_You don't have to tell me, L..._

"Still, as always you did spectacular. You should be proud of yourself Mello,"

"Uh...yeah, thanks," my face turned pink, I felt tears begin to fill up my eyes. There was _no_ way I was going to cry - not here in front of L! "But...but you should know that I want to do the best. I've never settled for being second place and I never will. I'm happy I did well, but I want to do the best. I will be proud of myself only when I score the highest assessment, get the best grades, and come in number one! That is what I always do, and I will always go for the top! I promise you, I'll be sure to make it highest score next time!" My voice rose to almost shouting by the time I was done. I couldn't believe I'd actually said all that.

"You're very motivated. I like that about you. Still, you'll have to learn to get along better and not always be so competitive," L answered.

I didn't know what to say back. Actually, I wasn't sure what he meant...

"Thank you sir," I said, leaving the room.

After a few more kids went in, I bumped into Linden again. She was smiling so much I thought her face would fall off, and she looked like she'd just got through crying.

"Uh, Linden?"

"Mello!" she instantly glomped me and started squeezing really tight. "Oh, you won't believe this!"

"What is it?"

"I scored one of the top grades on my assessment! L told me I'm getting a codename pretty soon!"

"A...codename? Wait a minute, how high did you say you scored?"

"Forth-highest," she said.

"Forth? Wait...so I know who made the highest score, then it's me, and if you're forth, then who came ahead of you?"

She shrugged. "I...I don't know. I'm not sure if that person's been given a grade yet,"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Where's Jeevas?"

"Hm? I think he's getting his grade right now. How well do you think he did?"

"Bad," I answered. "But to be honest, he said he didn't care what his grade was, so it doesn't matter,"

That evening, I came into my room yet again to find Mail in his usual spot. Something wasn't right though. I couldn't tell what it was, but he seemed different. Maybe it was the 1,000,000 watt smile on his face.

"Um...Jeevas? You okay?" I asked him. He unglued his eyes from his Gameboy and took off his goggles.

"Hey Mello? Guess what?"

"What?"

"You're not getting your room back," he giggled, green eyes flashing playfully.

I grabbed him by the shirt collar. "What do you mean, 'I'm not getting my room back'?"

"Well," he sighed. "I'm getting a codename,"

"You're kidding me,"

"Nope,"

"So that means..."

"That means for Halloween, you're going as Peach,"

"Shit,"

* * *

><p><strong>Tah-da! Ugh, now I think I'm just gonna bump up the rating to K+. Why not, right?<strong>

**'Tis irony, my friends. Roger hates kids, Mello's friggin' name, then he's getting along with Near, and Matt turned out to be a genius. And a K-rated fic has a four-letter-word. **

**Well, I know the Halloween chapter will technically come late, but I had to do something funny for it. It ain't funny till Mello's in a dress folks...wait. O.o**

**Oh, and if you're still sober right now...review!**


	6. Friends

**It's been so long since I last updated! Ugh! But I knew I totally had to this time, since it's Mello's birthday.**

**Well, I'm sorry I couldn't do a "Halloween Special" for PiR, but next year maybe, probably when it's officially "done," I'll just mark it as "Chapter 5.5" or something.**

**Anyways, enjoy, Happy Mello's Birthday, and as always: Please review!**

* * *

><p>He was kind of a snob, that kid, ever since he got his name. Ever since he placed just behind me on testing, he'd kind of had this way about him; twice the ego, triple the sarcasm. That Jeevas kid...<p>

So now he was Matt. Just Matt. Occasionally, I would call him by his real name just to piss him off.

For a while though, the two of us didn't do or say anything to each other. Then there was this one day when I came into my room...

"Matt!"

"GAH!"

"Why are you going into my stash?"

He turned beet red. "I-I...no, it's not what it looks like! Really!"

"Yes it is,"

"Nuh-uh,"

"Yeah-huh,"

"No really, it's not like -"

"Your goggles may fog up, but my eyes don't. I see what you did Jeevas,"

"Stop it!"

"No,"

"Mello, wait!"

"You know what this means," I stormed out of the room.

"NO! Please don't!" Matt ran after me. "Mello! Don't do it! Don't tell everyone in Wammy's House that I still suck my thumbs and wet the bed last week!"

I turned around and almost choked laughing. "You did what?" I snickered. Matt was turning red again.

"Wait, forget I said that..."

"There we go," I smirked and skipped down the stairs. Awesome, now I had even more dirt on him...but to tell about the bed-wetting...oh yeah, totally let out the bed-wetting.

"Mello!" he finally grabbed my shoulder. I whipped around to face him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What?"

"Please, just hear me out, okay?" he panted. "I...I wasn't sure what brand to get you...you know, for the chocolate? So I looked, and well, you showed up,"

I narrowed my eyes at him. He looked like he really meant it, but it was hard to tell. Still, if there was ever a chance to get even with him for making me go trick-or-treating in a dress...

"I believe you," I said, smiling."But I'm still telling everyone that you wet the bed,"

Matt turned red for the third time.

"What?" I shrugged. "I never said I would keep _that_ a secret, did I?"

"But I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Yes you did," I said. "It's your fault I have to share a room, that my chocolate stash in the mattress is gone, _and_ that I went as Peach for Halloween!"

"That part was your fault,"

"I blame you,"

"I had no control over those things. I couldn't help coming here. MY PARENTS ARE _DEAD_!"

"We're in an orphanage Matt. All our parents are dead,"

"Oh," he said. "Yeah, good point,"

We stared at each other for a minute before I finally said "Well, now what?"

Matt shrugged. "Wanna play Mario Kart?"

"Fine," I said.

We did, and after seven rounds of "Best two out of three," I lost. Badly. And his trash talk wasn't making things any better.

"Wow, you really suck at this,"

"No Matt, you're cheating,"

He turned to face me, and lifted up his goggles. Smirking, he said, "You really can't tell me that I'm just that good, can you?"

He was right, actually - I couldn't. I couldn't tell him that he'd beat me fairly, that he was better than me. There was no way I could say to him that yes, it was fair, he didn't cheat, I don't really suck at MarioKart. But he's just that much better than me. Truth is, I couldn't admit to anyone being better...except L. And Near...damn him...but this guy? This new kid, the one who was constantly on his Gameboy? Mail? Matt?

"No Matt, I can't,"

Okay, maybe he wasn't expecting me to answer it that way. I think that was supposed to be a rhetorical question or something...so maybe that's why he made a confused face for three seconds before falling on the floor laughing.

"Matt, I'm gonna kick you,"

"Hahahahahahahahhahaha! You...you really can't say I won! Seriously Mells?"

"What did you just call me?"

Still giggling, Matt got up and fixed his goggles. "Can't I call you Mells? Is that okay?"

"Is two syllables too much for you?"

He laughed a little bit. "Nah, just wanna give you a nickname or whatever. We're kind of friends, aren't we?"

"I'm forced to share a room with you. That does _not_ mean we're friends,"

He shrugged. "Okay then. I've got something to show you then," he said, and walked off.

"Hey," I went after him. "Where are you going,"

"Come on," he called, running off. I ran after him to see what he was going to do, when I finally stopped at the door to my room. He was standing in front of it, just smiling.

"What is it you said you were gonna show me?" I asked him.

"No telling, 'kay?" he said, winking.

_What is he getting at?_ I thought. He opened the door, and the two of us stepped inside.

"Mello," he said. "I know it's not the same as when you had the stash hidden in your mattress, but, after Halloween...I got Linda and Near to pitch in some...okay, Near doesn't totally know about the 'pitching in,' but..."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"We gave you our chocolate," he whispered. Just then, he walked over to a corner of the room, and popped open the floorboard. My jaw dropped. "Me and Lin both,"

I couldn't believe him. I didn't know what to think, really. Had he planned on this all along? As in, ever since the stash went missing? All this time, after everything I'd done and said to him, he was actually doing this for me? I felt...bad, guilty really; how I'd been such a jerk, and now this? At the same time, I was mad, in a weird sort of a way; I never asked for help in getting my chocolate stash back. Why did he feel like he had to help me? I never asked him! Still, it was...awfully nice to do that...with his own candy...

"Mello? Are you okay? Is this what they call a brain aneurysm?"

"M-matt?"

"Yes?"

I blinked a bit, then walked over to the space in the floorboards. "You really...wow. I mean...what's your deal? I just can't figure you out sometimes," I smiled.

"Heh, yeah well, I know it meant a lot to you and stuff," he said. "Kinda like my Gameboy. I'd die if this thing got broken or something,"

I rolled my eyes at him. "C'mon, Jeevas! As if it's really that bad!"

"It is," he teased. "You know it's true,"

I pouted, but then, I laughed. Yeah, he was right, wasn't he? We both had that much in common.

"So I guess you aren't all that bad after all, eh?" I said, handing him a chocolate bar.

"Does this mean I get to call you Mells?" he asked, taking the bar.

I looked at him for a minute, then bit into the chocolate. "Sure,"

"Alright then, Mello Yellow,"

"Now you're takin it too far,"

"Hahahaha! Okay then, fine," he rolled his eyes, munching on the chocolate bar. "Just Mells from now on, okay?"

"Okay,"

So maybe, just maybe, Matt wasn't so bad. And maybe he wasn't totally like Near after all.

He was kind of like me.

* * *

><p><strong>D'awww! ^_^ Fluffy chapter is fluffy...<strong>

**Well, I had to resolve it somehow, and really, who knew Matt was such a nice guy? After all, he's the guy who provides the crazy blond guy with chocolate. :P In case you're wondering, Matt kind of stole some candy from Near...Near takes so much crap in this story; then again, Mello's narrating, so what do you expect?**

**Tidings of Chocolate to all! Happy Chocoholic's Day, and remember: _REVIEW!_**


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